Improvement in buckles



UNITED STATES i FREDERICK W. sCEFER,

PATENT OFFICE.

oF LONDON, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT I'N BUCKLES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N o. 189,268, dated April 3, 1877; application led December 26, 1876.

To all whom lit may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK WILLIAM SCHFER, of Piccadilly and Golden Square, London, England, have invented a Lock- Buckle or Fastening for Harness and for other straps and bands, of which the following is 'a specification:

The object of this invention is to form a buckle which, while securely holding a trace or other part of harness, or saddlery, or any strap or band, may instantly release it,in whatever position the buckle may be placed and Whatever the degree of tension upon-the trace or band, by the combination, with" a xed and a hinged plate, of a lock for keeping the tooth ofthe hinged plate in the trace or band until released by pulling upon a draw-bar.

Figure l of the accompanying drawing is a front View of a buckle embodying' my invention closed and fastening a trace. Fig. 2 is a side viewy of same, also closed; and Fig. 3 is a side view of same with hinged plate raised, releasing the trace.

Similar letters indicate similar parts in each of these igures respectively.

A is the body or xed plate of the buckle, by which it is attached to the trace, strap, or band. B is the hinged plate. C is the tooth of hinged plate B. D is a spring-hinge, which throws the tooth G out of the trace or band, when not held down by the lock; E, li'ingespring. K isa lock-bolt; L,catchholding.bolt, when buckle is closed; I I, springs keeping bolt in catch; H, the draw-bar by means of whichthe trace, band, or strap is released.

To fasten the loose end of a trace or other strap or band in this buckle, it is passed, through the body A, the hinged plate B beingraised by its spring-hinge, as at Fig. 3. The plate B is then pressed down. Its tooth C passes through one or other of the holes in the trace or band. The bolt K on the plate B is pressed against the catch L, by the springs I I, until it enters the catch, and the hinged plate B and the bodyA of the buckle are thus securely locked together With the tooth G,A

holding the fastening end of the trace.

lo release the trace or loosen the band or strap, it is only necessary to pull on the draw-v bar H, whereby the springsI I are compressed, the bolt K drawn ont of the catch L, and the plate B, thus released, .is forced away from the body A byits spring-hinge D. The loose end of the trace, strap, or band, being now no longer held by the tooth C, may be drawn out of the buckle; and the greater the strain upon the trace or strap the lmore certainly and rapidly will it be releasedwhen the drawbar is pulled.

A trace fastened by an ordinary buckle cannot be released except by rst pulling it tighter, which is a very difficult matter when, for example, a horse has fallen and one or other of the traces is certainly under great tension, and, further, a certain liberty of action is necessary to bringa pull upon the loose end of the trace upon which the horse may even be lying. Now, With my improved buckle the draw-bar H will free the trace when the buckle can be reached by the hand, there being no counter-pull to be overcome, only sufficient power being required vto compress the springs I I. Y

I claim as my invention- In abuckle, the combination of the tubular base-plate A, having a perforation near its upper front portion, and provided With the slotted lug L and spring E, in combination With the top plate B, having the camhinge D', stud C, and locking mechanism adapted to be operated by a draw-bar, all constructed as and for the purpose specified.

F. W. SCHAFER.

Witnesses:

GEC. J. B. FRANKLIN, E. KINGCOMBE, J r.v 

